Make patchwork Christmas wrapping paper and card

Make wonderful original gift wrap out of scraps from the recycling box

Make wonderful original gift wrap out of scraps from the recycling box, using bits of paper, old labels, packaging, stamps and envelopes, paper bags and old comics. You can personalise it for the recipient with individual photographs and their initials cut from magazines.

1 First wrap your present in a layer of brown paper or a sheet of old gift wrap. Cut out lots of scraps of other papers in different-sized oblongs andstart sticking them on in a patchwork pattern to cover the base layer.

2 To make the greetings card, cut an oblong (15cm x 30cm) from a sheet of thin white card using a ruler and scalpel on a cutting mat. With a pencil, faintly mark the halfway point on the top and bottom edges. Join these two marks, score, and then fold the card in half.

3 Cover the front of the card with scraps of envelopes and graph paper for the background. Click the 'print' button at the top of the page to print out this project, complete with templates. Click here to see the template, on page 2. Cut out the three sections of the bird. Make a hole for the eye with a hole punch. Position the bird 1cm in from the right edge and glue in place.

4 To make the mini envelope in the bird’s mouth, cut out a very small rectangle of paper in a contrasting colour. Score into thirds then fold along the first score line and glue the sides together.

5 Fold over the top flap and shape into a point so that it looks like an envelope, then place a hand-written Christmas message inside before sealing.